Improved invalid-chair



MPETERS, PHOTmUTMOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D c.

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L. M. WHITMAN, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND A. B. ENDERTON, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 83.746, (lated November 3, 1868.

IMPROVED INVALID-CHAIR.

To all ywhom it may concern Be it known that I, L. M. WHITMAN, of Sterling, in

the county of Whitesides, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Invalid-Chair; and I do hereby declare that .the following is a full, clear,

l and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification. A

This invention relates to chairs which are made convertible into other forms, and so constructed that the position of the occupant may be changed at till, and the chair be made to rock or not, as may he desired.

The invention consists in making in sections back, seat, front, and foot-piece, and operating them by means oi' a transverse shaft, and cords and pulleys, and a lever upon each side, with other appropriate fixtures in connection therewith, will be hereinafter more fully described. y q

The drawing represents the chair in two diiferent positions; one, as a chair with upright or inclined back, with the parts shown in red color; the other position represents it as a couch, the. standards and movable parts being seen in either red or darky lines, as they appear when the chair is in the position indicated.

A is the back;

Bis the seat;

Gis the front; and

D is the foot-piece.` A

The seat is stationary, and is suitably supported on t legs, which are attached to rockers, E.

wheels, H, with ratchet-teeth upon their peripheries,

and with pawls, I, arranged so as to hold the wheels H from turning back. y

J represents levers, (one on each side ofthe chair,)

which are attached to the seat B by pins, K, so thatv the ends may rise and fall, as required.

L represents cords, (one on each side,) the ends of which are attached to the ends of the levers or barsv J, as seen in the thawing. Starting from the point m the cord (upon the side in view) passes down under a pulley, 11, on the rocker, and then upward to the shaft, through which it passes, and is secured thereto so that it cannot slip. From the shaft it is passed downward around .another pulley, o, on the rocker, and then upward, and is attached to the'other end oi' the lever J, as seen at p.

The cord is so secured to the shaft that when the shaft is revolved, it winds on from one direction, thereby depressing one end of the lever J, and winds ofi" from the shaft in the other direction, and thereby raising the other end of the lever.

There are pins, as indicated by the letter g, on each side of the chair, which are taken out of holes, or inserted, as the chair is changed from one position to another. -When the shaft is turned so that the end of the lever, which is marked r, is depressed, it will be seen that the back of the chair will be drawn down, as that end of the lever is attached to the back by a pin, S, which works in a slot.

The pin q, at the other end of the lever, also works in a'slot, so as to accommodate the movement of the front, C, when it is raised or lowered.

Vheu the chair is converted into a couch, as represented, the lever J will occupy a nearly horizontal position, as seen lin the drawing.

For the purpose of holding the chair in this position, and prevent rocking, there are standards, T, at the front, and U at the rear, which are pivoted to the rocker on cach side, as seen at V.

The standard T is double, so that when in an upright position the lower end is in contact with the door, while both the foot-piece D and the front, C, are supported by it.

The back standard U also serves a similar purpose in bearing upon the-door at the lower end to prevent rocking, aud'supporting the back at the upper end, as seen in the drawing.

A person occupyhig the chair may, by turning the crank-wheels H, (and consequently the shaft,) and properly arranging the pins, change it to any desired position.

XV represents a truck, which is attached to the front stand T, in any suitable manner, in case itis found necessary to move an invalid from one room to another.

The back standard Uis fixed by the pin q in the position seen in the drawing, so that the back portion of the chair may be raised from the loor, and the weight thrown upon the truck-wheels.

X represents detachable arms, for the sides of the cha-ir, which may be used as occasion' may require.

Having thus described myA invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of the pivoted, slotted bar J, cord L, pulleys o a, rocker E, shaft and crank-wheels H, and the standards T U, with the back, A, seat B, front, C, and footpiece D, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with an invalids chair, the adjustable stands T and U, arranged substantially as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

, 3. In combination with an invalids chair and the stands T and U, th'e truck IV, substantially as 'and for the purposes set' forth.

L. M. WHITMAN.

Vitnesses F. J. Nu'rnn'r, I. S. STAGER. 

